Apparatus for treating natural oils and residues of same.



. W. S. BARNICKEL. APPARATUS FOR TREATING NATURAL OILS AND RESIDUES 0FSAME.

mzwm APPLICATION HLEDMAR. 6. I916.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

WILLIAM S. BARNICKEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING NATURAL OILS AND RESIDUES 0F em.

11 ,zzaeeo.

Original application filed ovember 19, 1914, Serial N 0. 873,061.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2d, 191?. Divided and this application filed nmli e,

1916. Serial No. 82,462.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. BARNICKEL, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Apparatus for Treating Natural Oils and Residues of Same,of Which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such asWill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the. same.

This invention relates to an apparatus for treating natural oils andresidues of same, and is a division of my co-pending application SerialNo. 873,061, filed November 19, 1914.

A large amount of crude oil, when produced from the ground, contains asmall percentage of foreign matter which has found its way into theoil-bearing strata and wells. Crude oil is usually stored in largeearthen or steel storage tanks, and when it is left standing for sometime a thick viscous brown substance known as bottom settlings settlesout of the petroleum to the bottom of the tank and remains therein as aresidue when the petroleum is drawn off.

This residue or bottom settlings, when examined under a microscope,appears to be an emulsion consisting of a high per cent. of petroleum,organic matter, brine and sometimes mud, and in the oil fields and tankfarms large amounts of these bottom settlings have accumulated, as it isunfit for use. and cannot be gotten rid of by allowing it to run into aflowing stream or river, as

the laws of some States prohibit this, on account of the noxious natureof the settlings. It frequently happens that a well will produce oil,which, as it flows from the well is so mixed with the substances thatconstitute bottom settlings, that the oil" is unfit for use, and in theoil fields is known as roily oil, this roily oil being essentially-Similarin nature and consistency to bottom settlings.

In my co-pending application above'referred to I have described a novelprocess for separating practically all of the petroleum contained inbottom settlings and roily oil, and rendering such petroleum suitablefor commercial use. The object of my present invention is to provide anapparatus for practising the said process, which apparatus, can also beused for treating crude oils that contain a relatively small percentageof foreign matter.

Briefly described, the process described in my application abovereferred to consists in treating bottom settlings, roily oil or anyother natural oils or residues of same of a similar nature with awater-softening agent, namely, an agent which partially or completelyremoves the hardness of the water contained in the bottom settlings .orroily oil by decomposing the salts of lime and magnesia which are heldin solution-in the Water, and thereby softening the water or brine, thuschanging the composition of the mineral salts and isolating the foreignorganic matter and leaving the oil free to separate from the water andforeign matter in the natural way, by gravity. The watersoftening agentabove referred to is preferably introduced into the mixture beingtreated in solution and under pressure, so as to distribute said agentthoroughly through the mixture and cause every portion of the mass to bebrought in contact with the water-softening agent, thereby resulting inbreaking up the emulsion. It is also preferable to apply heat to'themixture or to the water-softening agent before, during or after themixing; Any suitable water-softening agent can be used, such, forexample, as soluble sulfate alone or soluble carbonates alone, orsoluble carbonates, silicates and sulfates mixed and made suflicientlyalkaline by the addition of a soluble hydrate, soluble soaps alone, orsoluble soaps, carbonates and silicates mixed, or oleic acid alone whenthe brine .contains alkaline carbonates in solution, or oleic acid,rosin or the fatty substances from which soaps are made added when thebrineof the bottom settlings or roily oil contains alkaline carbonatesin solution or has been made alkaline by the addition of a solublehydrate or carter and brine of the bottom settlings and roily oil differsomewhat in composition in different localities, so I pre er, in somecases, to use carbonate of soda for treatlng very old bottom settlingsof many years standing, of handling, and a soap made of oleic acid andcaustic soda, for treating roily oil of on account of economy andeasebrine and mud,

recent production. Andin some cases I have found that a soluble sulfatealone or a mixture of sulfate, carbonate and silicate of soda, orsulfate of soda, made sufiiciently alkfiline with caustic soda,-willtreat equally we The figure of the drawings is a diagrammatic view,illustrating an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention.

In practising the process I intimately mix with the bottom settlings, orroily oil being treated, a sufficient quantity of carbonate of soda orother suitable water-softening agent, preferably dissolved in water, andheat the mixed mass, usually from 110 to'200 degrees Fahrenheit, untilthe mass is treated, which is seen by the mass darkening throughout.Usually from 1 to 4: barrels of carbonate of soda is sufficient for 1000barrels of bottom settlings of long standing, and one-half to onecbarrelof the oleic acid soap, or other suitable water-softening agent, for1000 barrels of bottom settlings or roily oil of recent production. Uponstanding, the petroleum, which is usually from 30 to 60 per cent. of thetotal bulk, rises to the top, the

if any mud is present, set- 'tlirig to the bottom of the tank and theorganic matter forming a thin layer between the brine and the petroleum.Thereafter, the mud and brine and the organic matter are drawn ofi',leaving the petroleum in a marketable condition so that it can be usedfor fuel or for refining. While I- prefer to introduce a water-softeningagent into the mixture being treated in a liquid state and underpressure, I have found that when-carbonate of soda or any other suitablewatersoftening agent, either dry or dissolved in water, is allowed toremain in contact with bottom settlings warming or not, it willgradually bring about the separation of the petroleum.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the said apparatus, Adesignates a tank or container for holding the bottom settlings or roilyoil, hereinafter referred to as the mixture which is to be treated. Themixture in the tank A is heated to the desired temperature by means of asteam coil or steamcoils B arranged inside of the tank 7 adjacent thebottom of same, and a solution ofcarbonate of soda or other suitablewater softening agent'is introduced into the mixture in the tank A bymeans of a perforated pipe C, said solution of carbonate of soda beingdrawn out of a supply tank J and forced under pressure through the pipeE to the perforated pipe C by means of a pump D, said pipe E beingprovided with a controlling valve 4. The chemical solution settles tothe bottom of the tank A, carrying with it the brine which has separatedfrom the portions of the bottom settlings or roily oil with which. thechemical solution has consumedthe valve 1 1n the pipe from said supplytank J to the suction sideto the bottom of the tank or roily oil, eitherafter.

forated pipe C, being equipped come in contact. After the supply ofchemical solutionffr'om the supply tank J has been that leads of thepump is closed and the valve 2 in the pipe F that leads from the tank Ato the suction side of the pump is opened, so as to cause the chemicalsolution that has settled A to be drawn out of said tank and pumped upthrough the pipe E to the perforated p1pe C, the mixing being continuedfor several hours by causmg theheated chemical solution to circulatefrom the bottom of the tank A through the pump and pipe E back to theperforated pipe C. In view of the fact that the chemical solution isunder considerable pressure, it will squirt in small streams through theorifices in the pipe G into the mixture in the tank A, thereby causingthe chemical solution to come in contact with every portion of themixture in the tank A. After this operation has been carried on asufficient length of time to cause the emulsion to break,

which is seen by the mass becoming black or dark green on top and thechange throughout the mass from a thick viscous to a thin water-likeconsistency, the supply of steam to the coil B is cut off and the ump Dis also stopped. The mass in the tank A is then allowed to stand forfrom twelve to twenty-four hours, when the petroleum m will have risento the top, the brine and mud z settle to the bottom and the organicmatter 3 will have formed a thin layer between the petroleum and the mudand brine, as indicated in the drawing.

Instead of applying the heat by a coil arranged inside of the tank A,the heat can be applied by any suitable means, as, for example, byblowing live steam directly into the mixture in the tank A through theperthe apparatus herein shown with a steam supply pipe G connected withthe pipe E and provided with a controlling valve 3.

While the apparatus illustrated in the drawing is designed primarily forpractising the process described in my co-pending application previouslyreferred to, said aparatus is also capable of being used successfullyfor various other purposes. It is particularly adapted for use inwashing crude oil that contains only a small percentage of foreignmatter, and when used for this purpose, the containerJ will be filledwith water, instead of with a chemical solution. The purpose solution ortreating again, or, in other words, causing it to circulate from thebottom of the tank A back to the device C which introduces it intothematerialin the tank A, is merely for the sake of economy. Therefore, Ido not wish it to be understood that my present inven- I. 55 3 to betreated, a small container for holding tion is limited to an apparatuscomprising 'means for utilizing the treating liquid that has settled tothe bottom of the tank in which the material is contained while it isbeing treated, as the treating liquid may be drawn from a fresh supply,or the treating liquid that has settled to the bottom of one tank A canbe introduced into another tank containing a batch of material that isbeing treated. It is also immaterial what means is employed forintroducing the treating liquid into the mixture or material beingtreated, so long as said means is of such a character that it willresult in the treating liquid being distributed thoroughly throughthematerial and brought in contact with all portions of same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. An apparatus for treating natural oils and residues from same,comprising a tank or receptacle having an unobstructed interior, saidtank being adapted to hold the material to be treated, means forintroducing a solution containing a water-softening agent into thematerial in said tank in the formof fine jets or sprays that aredischarged approximately horizontally through the material atinnumerable: points between the top surface of the material and thebottom of the tank, thereby causing every portion of the mass in saidtank to be brought in contact with the water-softening agent in saidsolu'tionfand means whereby the solution that settles to the bottom ofthe tank may be again introduced into the material in said tank in .thesame manner previously specified.

2. An apparatus for treating natural oils and residues from same,comprising a tank or receptacle that has an unobstructed interior, saidtank being adapted to hold the material to be treated, means for heatingthe material 1n said tank, and means for introducing a solutioncontaining a watersoftening agent into the material in said tank in theform of fine jets or s rays that squirt ,horizontally through saimaterial from a point at the center of the tank toward the side wallsthereof, thereby causing the water-softening agent in said solution tocome in contact with all portions of the mass in the tank.

3. An apparatus for the purpose described, consisting of a tank forholding the material a chemical-treating solution, a perforatedinjecting device immersed in the material in said tank, a pump fordrawing the treating solution from said container and forcing it intosaid injecting device, and means for causing the pump to draw thechemicaltreating solution out of the bottom of said tank and force itinto said injecting device after the contents of said chemical solutioncontainer has been exhausted. v

4. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a tank forholding material that is to be treated, an injecting device arranged inan upright position in the material in said tank and provided with sideorifices at innumerable points intermediate the ends of same, means forsupplying a water-softening agent to said device under pressure, a steamsupply pipe, and means whereby communication between said steam supplypipe and said injecting device can be established and cut ofli' at thewill of the operator in charge of the apparatus.

5. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a tank forholding material that is to be treated, an injecting device immersed inthe material in said tank, a pump having its discharge side connectedwith said device, a container for holding a liquid which it is desiredto distribute thoroughly through said material, and means forestabllshing communication between the suction side of said pump andsaid tank or container at the will of the operator in charge of theapparatus.

6. An' apparatus of the character described, comprising a tank forholding material that is to be treated, an injecting device immersed inthe material in said tank, a pump having its discharge side connectedwith said device, a container for holding a liquid which it is desiredto distribute thoroughly through said material, conduits leading fromsaid container and from the lower end of 'said tank to the suction sideof said pump, means whereby either of said conduits may be cut out ofservice, and means for heating the material in said tank.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature, in the this secondday 0 March, 1916.

WILLIAM S. BARNICKEL.

Witnesses:

'WELLS L. CHURCH, GEORGE BAKEWELL.

resence of two witnesses,

